New Dawn : A Warriors Fanfic
by MartialArtista
Summary: When a rogue named Dawn gets taken away from her brother and best friend, she ends up in a place she would least expect, the Great Forest. This takes place when Fireheart is just appointed deputy. Please read and review, you won't be let down. T for blood
1. Chapter 1 : Taken

1-Taken

"Dawn!" yowled Night, my brother. We had been playing peacefully when some two-legs had come barreling through the undergrowth. Now, the pair of them had cornered us, our backs to an old tractor. One of them had reached for Night. I ducked and bit the two-leg's paw, and it threw its head back and yowled. The other two-leg lunged, and we made our escape. I jumped swiftly around their legs, my brother on my heels.

"Dawn! We have to get back to Sky before those two-legs get her!" I nodded my agreement. My paws flew over the ground, and I felt like a wind had lifted my soul. Night and I had left our little nest in the abandoned house when we heard Sky yowl in agony. There are these mean two-legs that come around every once in a while to our nests and throw cans at us, try and catch us. They aren't really kits but the two-legs were younger than their parents. We skirted the canopy of leaves and emerged on an open plain. We were near our nest; you could see it close to the horizon. As we ran toward the house it got bigger and bigger, and I could hear the two-legs giving pursuit. I pushed myself. Not a hundred fox-lengths to go. I felt my brother's strained breathing behind me and looked back at him. He was bleeding from a cut over his eye and it was blocking his right vision. I reached the house and ran around to the other side, and what I saw made me suck in a breath and stop short.

Two-legs covered the area, as well as the entrance, and they were accompanied by a big white van, with lettering across the sides. They were talking on devices. I saw a glint of metal in the van, and I ducked behind a bush and squinted. I saw rows upon rows of cages… They were taking another cat to the car. She had a light tan body. She looked back with pleading and desperate eyes… Sky! Without thinking I darted out from the cover of the bush and threw myself at the attacker. I clawed his legs and blood welled up in the path of my claws. He dropped the cage and Sky fell to ground with a yelp. The impact had bumped the latch and the door sprung open. She raced out, and the two-leg shook me off. I hit to the ground, dazed. He muttered something that sounded like a curse and picked me up by my scruff.

_Move! Move!_ My brain yowled at my limbs, and I watched, uncomprehending as they took Sky's open cage and stuffed me in it.

"No!" like a rush of cold water I started struggling. I bit the hand that was holding my scruff, and I sunk my claws in his skin. He pulled his paw back taking me with him, but another paw came out of nowhere and grasped my scruff.

"Dawn!" yowled Night. "Don't let them take you! Don't-" he was cut short when a two-leg shot at them with a gun. When I looked at the space Night had been not a moment before it was imprinted by a feathered dart. The two-leg pulled me off him and I felt a needle insert between my haunches. I yowled my discomfort. The world was moving slower. It was a mix of blur and sound, and I saw a black shape hurtle toward me.

"No!" It felt like I was yowling, but I must have whispered. "Night, Sky… Go. I will find you." My eyes drooped and I saw Night stop short. The last impression I had of him was his grief-stricken face, helpless to defend me.

"I… I will find you," I repeated. I was vaguely aware of the cold metal bars trapping me. Sky and Night retreated, and I saw them over the horizon as my cage was being swung from side to side. I collapsed, my legs giving way. I saw them both stop short. As the sun cast a scarlet ray on the world they yowled their anger, frustration, and grief as I was carried away.

_Night… Sky. I will find you someday. I will. Mark my words…_ My eyes closed on the note of grief and anger they yowled to the heavens above, my body giving in. My mind shut down, and the world swam.

_I will find you…. Someday. Somehow._


	2. Chapter 2 : Awake

Chapter 2 – Awake

I woke up to the sound of mewing and the road jostling my water bowl all over me, my supply of tasteless food pellets spilled on the floor of my cage. I coughed, my throat bone dry. I lapped up as much water as I could; taking all of it that was still in the tiny bowl. The water was stale and metallic, and it made me even thirstier. My stomach rumbled and my body ached. I looked around in the darkness of the van. I saw the glint of metal and a light that was filtering through an opening in the top of the van.

_I am in the van, right? So… where exactly am I? _By the scents of several other cats, I knew they were in here. I didn't recognize any of them, and I relaxed for a moment. That meant neither Sky nor Night were here. Then I tensed and questions raced through my head.

_Where will I end up?_

_Where will Night and Sky go?_

_How will I find them?_

_How am I to survive without them?_

I immediately pushed the last question out of my mind. I could deal with this. I could, I would, and I will prevail.

"So, what do they have ya in for?" asked a glinting pair of eyes next to me. I hissed at him. "Now, now, here, we're all friends. Don't be rude to me, pretty little kitty." I growled at him.

"Oh, stop taunting her, Scar!" a she-cat replied below me. "Sorry, he does that to every newcomer in here," she continued. "What's your name?" I swallowed hard, and my voice was hoarse as I replied.

"Dawn."

"Well, Dawn," said another cat opposite of Scar, "then we better introduce ourselves too." He stepped close to my cage so I could see him. "I'm Stump. That she-cat you heard already is Heather, and you already know Scar." He told me every cat's names, and they replied in turn with a mew of 'Hi!' or 'Nice to meet you!'

"This here is the Animal Control. They take cats like you and me, and put them with the two-legs in homes to be their pets." I shivered. "Every once in a while they come in here and stop the van to toss in a new cat like you were." He nodded at my shoulder, and the van swerved and the light filtered in from the top of the van. I could see Stump clearly now, with a tail that was a stump, hence his name. "They sometimes tranquilize us, put us to sleep, like they did you, and then shove us up in here."

"W-where do we go from here? I mean, they don't drop us off at just any home, do they?" He shook his head.

"No, no, they put us in shops to be bought." He had a look of sadness and resignation. "We've tried to get out. We can't." He examined me closely. "By the way… I've never seen another cat with a pair of eyes like you've got," I shifted under his gaze and licked my chest to hide my embarrassment.

"Yes, well, my mom had orange eyes and my dad had blue. I guess they both fed into me and I got twice the effect." I had striking orange and blue eyes. I turned and looked out across the other cages, trying to see the other cats. I shied away as the door swung open and a two-leg emerged, carrying a cat in a cage and placing it above mine. I heard labored breathing and I felt something sticky drip into my cage, on my fur. I sniffed it, and my ice gripped my veins.

"Blood…" I croaked. My voice grew stronger. "Blood! The new cat's bleeding!" I stumbled backward just as a thick flow started pouring down into my cage. Suddenly I was drowning in blood, and the thick tide was swirling around me, dragging me down, hot and sticky. Voices were whispereing around me, and it took me awhile to find out that they werent from the cage. I gulped and gasped, but I couldn't breathe. It was choking me. I squeezed my eyes shut and when I opened them, I was back in the cage. I was breathing heavily as if I had been gasping for air. I heard the cat above me moan in agony.

"S-stump?" I called.

"Yes?" he answered calmly.

"What's going to happen to the other cat?"

"I don't know." he had a resigned posture.

"Do cats like that come in with injuries that bad?"

"Not often, but occasionally."

Another two-leg burst in, and it shined a light on the blood, dripping down in my cage. He took the cat out, and he yelled at another two-leg out the door. I saw a mass of blood, and I backed into the corner, my eyes wide with disbelief. The cat might have been a mottled gray tabby if it were not covered with blood and hard to discern. I tried to scuttle away from the hand as it reached into my cage and grabbed at my scruff. I yelped as it held me, but it's grasp was gentle, and it placed me under Stump, beside Heather. I shivered in the cage, feeling sorry for myself, a thousand things racing through my mind. I curled into a tight ball and in less than a shaky breath later I was asleep.

...

When I woke up, Heather was nudging me through the cage.

"C'mon," she whispered. "You better wake up and be nice to them. They're going to clean that blood off of you and put you up for adoption in the store." She looked me over. "You'll sell real nice, that coat of yours, and your eyes." It took a moment to realize where I was, and who she was talking about.

"B-but what about my brother?" I shivered. _My brother… Night. My best friend, Sky. _All of the questions came rushing back again, and I had to struggle to push them away. I gulped. A two-leg came brushing in, carrying portable cages. I watched as they put the cats into the crates, one in a row, each after the other. More than one of them tried to scratch and get away, but the two-legs had special coverings on that were tough and thick. So, I awaited my turn. When they finally came to me I shied away at first, but Heather murmured encouragingly. I hesitantly walked to the edge of the cage, and the two-leg picked me up. He turned me around a bit and then murmured something to the next guy. I was carried out of the van, the two-leg a firm but gentle grip, and led into a house. Outside the two-legs were everywhere, and I watched as they bustled about, like a hive of bees, going to and fro, carrying this and transporting that.

The two-leg brought me to a box that was indented in the table, a silver tube hanging over it. The sides of the tub were smooth, and the two-leg got something in his hands. Water magically poured down around me, and I stuck my nose out of it, breathing. I liked the water, and I certainly wasn't going to show these two-legs that I was a scaredy-cat. I watched carefully as he slathered the thing in his hands all over me. I watched it foam up, and he was scrubbing me. I shifted uncomfortably, but he was gentle and I tolerated it.

When he was done and the water stopped, he pulled me up onto a towel and murmured reassuring words. He dried me off, and took me into a part of the house that had all kinds of animals. I saw a squirrel with no bushy tail, all these lizards… and _fish!_ As we passed the containers I stuck a paw out, and the two-leg chuckled, murmuring something that could've been amusement. I was put into a cage with Heather and a few other she-cats from the van.

"Wow," said Heather, looking at me. "your coat is so shiny. And you smell nice." I nodded. The stink of that liquid the two-leg used on me was strong, and I couldn't smell anything except that.

On the next couple of days, all we did was eat, sleep, look cute, and pose for two-legs as they came by. I watched as they passed by me, taking Heather and two other cats away. There were a few left, and it was then, after Heather left, that I got to know another cat. We talked, and we warmed up to eachother. Sara was a brown tabby with amber eyes, and she was formerly a pet. Her two-legs abandoned her and left her, and the Animal Control got to her before she could think of what to do next.

I told her about my past, of my parents, my brother, and my best friend.

"…When I was real little, we lived in this old barn that was abandoned by two-legs. Night, Sky and I were very close. My dad went off one day to hunt for us, but he never came back. My mom went out searching for him, and when she returned, she was dragging his pelt in her teeth, saying a monster killed him. We buried him.

"Then, the next year, we had a house fire. I was out with Night and Sky, hunting, way into the morning. The only reason we knew it was on fire was from the smoke. So much smoke…" I trailed off, memories flashing and materializing. I had wanted to tell Sara without remembering, but the memories came anyway.

"_Oh no!" yelled Night, casting a glance in Mom's direction. "That's where the house is, isn't it?" We abandoned our kills and ran to the house. When we came around the corner, the house was such a blazing orange that I had to look away and let my eyes adjust. I stood there, panicking, telling me I had to do something. Mom would die. I shook my head and raced in the old barn._

"_Mom!" I screeched. "Where are you!" The barn was livid with flames, lapping hungrily at every exposed object and consuming everything like a black hole. I raced around to where my mom was supposed to be sleeping. I stopped short. _

_There she was, dappled coat and graying muzzle, sound asleep as when we had left her._

"_Mom!" I raced over to her and nudged her with my nose. My eyes widened as I gasped and took a half step back. I noticed several things at once. She wasn't breathing. She was so cold… And she wasn't asleep. I wailed._

"_Night! Night, Mom isn't… Sh-she… her body, but her…" Tears leaped to my eyes, and I wailed again. Night came racing in, followed by Sky. I looked up at them, and Night's faced turned to disbelief. I watched Sky's reaction, and she seemed equally taken._

"_Mom isn't here with us anymore," I said quietly, my head and tail low to the ground. A piece of wood smashed to pieces as if fell to the ground behind us, but I didn't move._

"_C'mon," Sky nudged us. "We have to get out if we're to save ourselves." I looked up defiantly, and grabbed Mom's scruff. Sky rolled her eyes, but Night and her supported Mom's flank. We started cautiously toward the entrance, and broke into a run as a path opened in the flames. We cleared the threshold jut as a support beam weakened and a whole section of the barn collapsed, where we had been a moment earlier. We raced into the trees, and put mom gently onto the ground. I looked back at Sky and Night._

"_We have to bury her." They nodded, eyes wide with grief. I dug the hole, and when I was done, they lowered her into the ground, each of us murmuring words of peace and well-being as we did. I carefully scooped the dirt back into the hole, checking every single moment to make sure she wasn't still alive. When I finally covered her fur, I hung my head. I threw back my fur and yowled to the moon, low on the horizon, and Night and Sky joined me, our chorus of grief shaking the roots of the trees and my soul. The world was quiet as dawn approached, not a single mouse stirred. It was as if the world was grieving with us, a vigil of silence for my Mom._

I opened my eyes to find Sara looking down at me with a curious expression.

"So, where's your mom now?" Raw grief welled up inside me, and I moaned, low and grief-stricken. I hung my head, my tail drooping. I walked back to my makeshift nest, curling up in the towels.

I fell into a world of dreams and memories, flashing through my mind and manifesting into a seemingly real realm. I was hunting and swimming and playing with my Mom, Night, and Sky, and suddenly, I was 5 moons old again.


	3. Chapter 3 : New Sights, New Scents

Chapter 3 – New Scents, New Sights

The wind whipped through the trees, making the leaves whisper to one another. A gale blew through the trees from behind me, making my tail and ears lean against my body. When I looked back, I saw a fiery orange glow, and for a moment fear shot through me. I realized then it wasn't fire, but a distant figure glowing with the brilliant of a flame. Voices whispered of his coming, and I watched as he turned from an ant to a cat. I waited for him to speak, and he kept coming. A gale blew from the side and I saw as he turned to ash and the wind carried it away. I looked around, the clearing I was in green and lush. I raised my head to the sky and a shadow passed over the sun, engulfing the clearing in shadow. A shiver passed through me. The voices reached my ears and I strained until I could hear them. The cloud passed the sun.

"She is coming," they whispered. "A strike will ignite the fire and let it burn its fullest, and all cats will wake to a new dawn." The words echoed throughout my skull, and I yelled to be heard over the wind.

"Wait! What dawn? And a fire? Aren't fires a bad omen?" The wind carried their reply away. This time, a single voice reverberated throughout my body, and I felt like thunder was crashing into the clearing, into me.

_Do not be afraid, little one. I will be here to guide you. _A shimmery outline appeared before me, and I caught a whiff of a pleasant, flowery scent. As if the words had been spoken aloud, a single name crossed my mind. _Spottedleaf._

As if in reply, her outline grew more solid, and I could see her gentle, sparkling eyes and beautiful dappled coat. Stars shimmered in her outline, and she dipped her head.

_You are now close approaching your destiny. I will be with you, do not despair._ I relaxed and nodded.

_Everything will be answered in time, little one, be patient._

I awoke, a hand stroking my pelt. I blinked and looked up to see a two-leg kit petting me. She gasped as she saw my eyes, and picked me up out of the fence. I let her, my body relaxed, as she cradled me in her arms. I closed my eyes to pretend I liked it. She ran over to another two-leg.

"Mommy, I want this pet!" she said, her voice weird on my ears. The mother nodded, and I watched as she took me to the counter. The mom and the two-leg behind the counter exchanged a few words, and then I was being carried out of the store. As I passed Sara, I called out to her.

"Bye, Sara! I hope we meet again!" She looked back with sad eyes.

"I'm sorry!" she called back. I waved my tail to indicate I had heard. They put me in the belly of a monster, with a cage on the next seat. The girl stroked me as I lay on her lap, and when the car stopped I looked over out the window. I saw a two-leg house, and I was carried inside. They plopped me down on the ground, and I watched as they all walked around me and fixed things here and there, and then the girl led me to my food and water bowl.

I ate and drank, my food a pile of tasteless slop, and I sat watching the woods at the back of the house, a white fence enclosing what was now my yard. I sighed. I didn't want to be here, I just was here. I circled impatiently, waiting to be let out, if they would let me. I finally sat back down, staring out the window. The two-leg kit laid down beside me, looking out the window too.

"Do you want to go out?" she asked. I looked back, not understanding her jumble of sounds.

"Well," I mewed, "I'd like to explore, if that's what you're asking me." I watched as she shouted something to the adult two-legs, and then opened the door. I jumped down from the sill and walked confidently into the yard, taking in scents. When I jumped and balanced on the fence, I looked over and saw another cat. I called her over, and she jumped and balanced on the fence.

"You new?" she said happily. I nodded. "Nice to meet ya! I'm Haddie."

"I'm Dawn," I replied. We talked for a long time, getting to know each other. She liked to talk a lot.

"…Yeah, it was so funny! And then after he missed those birds, they kept taunting him! Hey, have you heard about the cats who live here in the forest?" This caught my attention.

"No, in fact, I haven't."

"Well, the cat before me who lived here went into the forest. He still visits sometimes, but never me, usually visiting Smudge or his sister, Princess, who lives a few yards down. Have you seen him? He has a bright orange coat, and bright green eyes. They call him Fireheart. His original name was Rusty, back when he was a kittypet." I nodded, thinking back to the dream. _It was a bright orange cat… Could that have been him?_ Haddie stopped as her owners called her in, and then I was alone.

I walked to the fence on the edge of the forest, staring, listening. I thought I saw a flash of orange, but it was gone before I could be sure. I yawned, stretching my muscles under my pelt, feeling them ripple and proud of their strength. I twitched my ear, a feeling of paranoia under my skin. I shook it off, but it wouldn't go away. I shifted my gaze to the woods, and standing there, was an orange cat, with brilliant green eyes, surveying me carefully. I drew myself up and flicked my tail in his direction, hopping off my fence and dropping to the floor below, and took a cautious step toward him. He sat, gaze unwaveringly placed on my pelt. I growled low, but he didn't seem to notice, his gaze still on me. I sat, and I surveyed him. For a while, nothing happened. Then, a number of scents hit my nostrils all at once, and four cats surrounded me. I just sat there, looking from one to the other, watching them. A young white tom, another young she-cat with ginger spots on her white fur, a light, sandy-colored she-cat, and another big white tom with gentle eyes were standing before me. I sat, tail flicking, muscles at the ready. I looked at the young white tom once more, and he gasped.

"Fireheart, this cat has two colors of eyes!" I blinked, and relaxed. _Fireheart._ I tensed and looked sideways as another blue-gray she-cat strode in.

"Peace, young ones," said the she-cat, and I pricked my ears and fixed her with my gaze. I saw a flash of recognition, but it was gone as fast as it came. I sensed the threat was over, so I relaxed and licked my paw. I drew it over my ear a couple times, closing my eyes in concentration. When I opened on eye they were gone. I finished cleaning my ear, then jumped onto the ledge of my fence, and turned around, looking once more at the edge of the forest.

"I am not a kittypet," I murmured, thinking. "Why am I here, anyways? And how did Spottedleaf know I would meet Fireheart?" I shook my head, turning to jump down on the other side. I took one more glance at the woods and jumped down into my yard, walking over to my nest, thinking.

...

Over the next few days, I stood silently on the fence watching the woods, hoping for a glimpse of Fireheart, although I knew that wouldn't happen. Haddie said he didn't come here often. Thinking back to the cats from last night, they all looked battle-scarred.

Jumping down from the fence I looked down at a puddle and saw my bright eyes, and I gasped, staggering back from it. I turned to it again, and I held my own gaze. My eyes looked… striking. My right eye was a blood orange, red in the middle and then a lighter brilliant orange on the outside. My left eye was a blue green, bright green in the middle and a bright blue around it. As always, it was like looking at a stranger in the mirror. I blinked, and my reflection did also. I sighed. How come I couldn't ever not be surprised when I looked at my reflection? I shook my head, and my ears pricked as I heard a low hiss.

Trying to pinpoint the noise, I hopped up on the fence again. I walked on the fence, and it came again, low and urgent. I followed my ears to the forest on the other side of my fence, and I jumped down. The hiss was coming from above me now, and I looked up. Not fast enough, though, because a weight dropped onto me and pinned me to the ground. The cat hissed in my ear.

"Be quiet. I want to talk to you, not out in the open." I grunted, and the cat got off of me. I pushed myself up from the ground and turned around, and I just saw the flick of a tail as it disappeared behind a tree. I followed, and I came face to face with Fireheart. I blinked calmly at him, and took a step back. He nodded, then led me deeper into the woods, running without a backward glance, not even to see if I kept up. I kept pace with him, my muscles happy to get some exercise. It was nice to be under the canopy of leaves, and I sniffed happily at the wild smell of the woods. Fireheart led me to a ravine, and I paused, sniffing the air.

"This doesn't smell very private," I said cautiously. He just looked at me with a single green eye and jumped down the path to the ravine. I sighed, and followed him in. I hesitated at a gorse tunnel, wary, but curiosity got the best of me and I followed him in.


	4. Chapter 4 : Meeting

Chapter 4 – Meeting

I walked into the gorse tunnel, the barbs pulling at my fur, leaving golden tufts behind. When I emerged, I gasped. The clearing was alive with activity, cats walking to and fro, a pile of fresh-kill in the center. Fireheart was already halfway across the clearing, and I caught up to him. As the other cats caught my scent, they paused and looked up from what they were doing.

"Hey!" yowled the young white tom that was with Fireheart the other day. "I know you! You're that cat from Two-leg Place!" Some of the cats growled their disapproval, and a sleek black and gray tom walked up to me.

"You're a kittypet?" He sniffed disdainfully. "Kittypets aren't allowed here."

"I'm not one of the pampered kittypets you know," I said, my pelt itching uncomfortably. I slid my claws in and out, in a self conscious way. "I was a rogue before the two-legs spirited me away and placed me there, in Two-leg Place. As if I had a choice." The cat flattened his ears and hissed at me. I turned away and walked toward Fireheart, sheathing my claws.

"Intruder!" a small meow made me stop. "Attack!" I disappeared under a mass of fur as two small kits knocked me to the ground. I struggled and eventually sat up, a kit on my head and the other sliding down my back. I shook the one off my head so it slid gently onto the ground.

"Bramblekit! Tawnykit! What have I told you about attacking other cats, especially strangers?" mewed a pale ginger queen, making her way toward us. The kits jumped off me at once and ran to hide behind their mother. I licked my ruffled fur and was very aware of the stares and gazes of many of the clan on my back. Fireheart had stopped to watch my tussle, and his eyes were sparkling with amusement. I walked to him confidently and as I did so I heard one of the kits-Tawnykit-meow something to her mother.

"Mom, is she going to stay? Her eyes are pretty." I looked at Fireheart and he turned and led me to an entrance covered by lichen. I followed Fireheart in, my eyes adjusting to the gloom.

"Welcome," said a familiar voice, and I looked to see a pair of blue eyes and a blue-gray coat. "We would like to speak to you." Fireheart walked over to stand beside the cat. I dipped my head in greeting. She flicked her tail. "I am Bluestar, leader of Thunderclan, and this is Fireheart, my deputy."

"We have watched you since you came, often seeing you staring off into the forest. Why is that?" I looked at her, and I blinked.

"Because, the forest was where I was born."

"And why were you with the two-legs, then?"

"They took me from my family, where we lived."

"Where is that?" I dropped my gaze so she wouldn't see the grief in them.

"I don't know. I was raised in a forest and then in a barn." I shuffled my paws.

"Where are your family members?" My head snapped up.

"Why?" She looked at me steadily, and I held her gaze evenly.

"Very well," she murmured. "How good are your battle skills?" I blinked at her.

"Well, I was a rogue, so I had to learn to defend myself, and more than once I got into that situation." She nodded, satisfied. Her eyes glinted as she spoke again.

"And what was the outcome of those battles?"

"Does whether I win or lose really matter?" The look she gave me told me otherwise. "I won."

"All of them?"

"Most."

She nodded her head, considering. Her eyes surveyed me, calculating my strength and weakness.

"Well, let's test that theory." She led me outside, where the clan was waiting. She led me to the gorse tunnel, and a few cats followed, but they stopped after she fixed them with a piercing blue gaze. We walked up the ravine and into the forest.

"Well," she said, leading Fireheart and I into a sandy clearing. "You will fight Fireheart."

Fireheart and I took our positions. My gaze sharpened, and blood rushed through my veins. Excitement coursed through me. Bluestar mewed the word, and Fireheart circled me. I watched him carefully. He lunged, but I saw his body's posture and dodged. I feinted to the left, nipping at his foreleg, and he defended himself accordingly, hissing in my face. I slithered under him, knocking his back paws on the tendon, so they gave way. I tried to dart out but he collapsed, his weight falling on me. I gave a slight hiss of irritation. Bluestar walked toward us and Fireheart got up. She nodded.

"Good work you two." She then assumed the position in the middle of the clearing, signaling me to fight her. I crouched as she did. She leaped, and I hopped out of the way, my weight on my toes. I turned around just in time to see her double back, jumping, claws extended. I butted my head on her flank as she sailed past me, but she reached back and hooked my head with her paw and I rolled with her. We tussled on the ground a bit more. She was standing above me when a loud meow distracted her.

"Fireheart! Fireheart! I heard-" I took advantage of her distraction and slipped from her grip. She turned her head around but it was too late, I jumped onto her and my weight sent her to the ground. The white young tom burst into the clearing, mewing to Fireheart. "I heard that you, Bluestar, and that cat from the other day-" He stopped short as he saw me pinning Bluestar to the ground. He hurtled toward me, and I loosened my grip on Bluestar. I let him barrel into me, rolling with his impact. When my back was on the ground I caught him, balancing my paws on his, and flung him away to the other side of the clearing. I popped up, sitting and licking my paw.

"So," I said to the tom, dazed on the ground. "What's your name?" I walked over to him. He sucked in a breath and was up in a second.

"You tried to kill Bluestar!" he hissed. I looked back at him with confusion.

"No, I-" he advanced on me, and I sighed.

"Cloudpaw!" Fireheart meowed. "Cloudpaw, stop! Listen to me, she was just-" Cloudpaw, ignoring Fireheart, ran at me again. He leaped, and I sidestepped him, neatly hopping out of the way. He skidded and turned back around, leaping with his claws extended. I rolled onto my back and flung him away again.

"Look, Cloudpaw, Bluestar asked me to fight her, so-"

He hissed, this time he crouched low and came at me, hissing in my face. I stood just as he jumped, and I grabbed his scruff as he flew past. He was struggling, but I could easily hold him in my jaw. I plopped him down in front of Fireheart.

"Here," I said, and ducked as Cloudpaw swiped at my nose, claws out. I walked over in the middle of the clearing, standing in a spot of sunlight. I sighed, feeling the afternoon heat warm my muscles. I looked sideways at Bluestar, who was upright and washing her paws and muzzle that had gotten dirty. I started to wash myself also, cleaning the dirt off my muzzle and the dirt off my back and paws. When I was finished, I looked over to see Bluestar and Fireheart exchanging words to each other, and I waited as they did so. Meanwhile I looked around, surveying the forest with eager eyes. Something about this place just made it glow. The wind sighed through the trees, bringing a flowery scent and words murmured to my ears.

…_All will be well. Your destiny is near, little one, do not be afraid…_

_Spottedleaf, _I replied, _how can I not? I'm just thrown in here, not a moon since my capture, and now I have to give up on finding Night and Sky and join Thunderclan. It's not that I don't want to, I love the forest, but… _I shivered, trying to pinpoint what was wrong. _Something dark is lurking here… Something evil will happen… And it is to occur soon. _I raised my head to the sky, watching the clouds through a gap in the trees. Fireheart and Bluestar were signaling us to go, so I stretched and bounded after them, my muscles warm and my mind made up.

…

I entered back through the gorse tunnel, my blood pumping and my mind whirling. I followed Bluestar back into her den, and I heard the pitter patter of paws outside. Two kits came bursting in.

"Is she going to stay?" asked Tawnykit, her eyes wide with wonder as she looked around the leader's den.

"That will be decided right now. Go and play now," she said gently, her eyes compassionate as she watched them go. Tawnykit hesitated at the entrance, then bounded back to me.

"Y-you are going to stay, aren't you?" When I hesitated, her eyes went wide. "I'll tell Darkstripe to be nice to you. He's a grump and he doesn't like kittypets but you're not a kittypet, so I think I can get to him." She licked her ruffled fur. "Th-that is, of course, if you're staying." I nodded.

"All will be decided now. Go out and play, Bramblekit is waiting." She nodded, and looked back more than once as she padded away. I turned back to Fireheart and Bluestar, and the amusement was evident both in their eyes and voices.

"Wouldn't want to upset them, would you?" Fireheart's eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Well, it seems you've got a little fan club, now hasn't it?" Bluestar had the slightest of smiles on, and her lips twitched as she mewed. I sighed.

"So is that a 'Do you want to join Thunderclan?'" I asked.

"I suppose so," meowed Bluestar, her eyes flashing with laughter. I chuckled.

"Well, those kits do seem to like me a lot, and I guess I could get used to it." Bluestar's eyes turned serious.

"Think Carefully. You will have to provide for the elders, queens, and kits before you eat for yourself. You will have to go out on either dawn patrol, sunhigh patrol, or sunset patrol, and further more you must endure the scorn and earn the clan's trust. It won't be easy," she murmured. "These cats are against anything kittypet, and only like forest-borns." She let out a meow of laughter. "But, then again, you _are_ forest-born, if not in this forest, and you are not a kittypet, even though that is where you have been living the last half-moon." I nodded. "Yes… Now what to do… You seem more than capable of starting in the clan as a warrior." She nodded. "Yes, we will, but first you must show the clan you are worth it. If I go and make you a warrior before all of this, they will dissaprove. You will be called just Dawn for the time being, and once you have proven yourself we will arrange your warrior ceremony."

…

I walked out of Bluestar's den, unsure what to do now. I looked at Fireheart, who was filing out behind me. Getting my look, he nodded.

"The first thing I will do is to show you around camp. Let's see how this goes." I followed him to a thick bramble bush. "This right here is the nursery, where Tawnykit and Bramblekit-" A chorus of yowls interrupted him, and I turned to see Tawnykit, Bramblekit, and a smaller white kit run at me. I disappeared under a mass of fur for the second time that day, the only difference being tackled by one more. I popped my head up just in time to see an old pale tabby walking my way. The small white kit wriggled away from me, his gaze wandering the camp. Tawnykit and Bramblekit stopped too, and I looked up at the queen. Her gaze was set on my face, and it was uneasy.

"Snowkit, do not attack strangers." Snowkit's eyes widened in dismay.

"But ma, Tawnykit and Bramblekit said she was fun, and she's really nice!" I looked back from mom to son, and then to Fireheart. Fireheart cleared his throat.

"That's Speckletail, Snowkit's mom, and this is Goldenflower," he added, watching Goldenflower walk up behind Speckletail. "You already know the other kits." I nodded.

"I'm Dawn," I mewed, answering their unspoken question, and I could see it in their eyes. Speckletail's eyes narrowed.

"Well, Dawn, I hope you have had a good evening here." She turned to Fireheart. "And why are you showing her the nursery?" The kits' eyes shown with delight. They bounced around me, purring,

"She's going to join the clan!" I felt a prickle of unease. _This queen doesn't like me very much,_ I thought. I got to my feet, but not before I heard Goldenflower remark,

"She must be very good for Bluestar to decide we need her. You saw Bluestar and Fireheart lead her out of camp. They came back, each with dirt on their fur. They must've been at the Sandy Hollow, Bluestar and Fireheart testing her skills. Just look at our kits," she added, watching them look at me with wide eyes. "they seem to like her a lot. Give her a chance, Speckletail." I licked my fur to avoid the queens' gazes, and I looked around for Fireheart, who was signaling me away.

"Nice to meet you," I meowed, dipping my head as Fireheart led me to our next destination, a bush with a nettle patch next to the entrance. I saw a cat come up from underneath the bush, and I realized this must be where the older cats sleep.

"This is a warriors' den," Fireheart confirmed, and led me into the den. There was that dark coated warrior, Darkstripe, and another cat, a small, dusky brown she-cat, blinking open an eye to look at who may interrupt her nap. She stretched and yawned, then her gaze traveled over me.

"So, this a newcomer?" she asked, pinning me with her gaze. I smiled and nodded, and told her my name. "Well, it's a good thing you're here. Ever since we have had an extra patrol, there's never many cats to go around. Usually, at this time of day, there would be about four cats in here, sleeping the morning away to go out on evening patrol." Fireheart led me out, saying it was rare for Mousefur to be nice to anyone, especially a cat she never has seen before.

"Must be her nap has softened her," he remarked.

He then proceeded to tell me the history of how to become an apprentice, and then a warrior. "When a kit is born, it is giving a main name that will never change, as long as it suits them, and the suffix –kit is added until their apprenticeship. When they pass six moons, they are given the name –paw, and then moved to the apprentices' den, which is over there," he continued, flicking his tail to a cave in a pile of rocks. "Don't worry, they're sturdy."

We walked over to a tunnel surrounded by ferns.

"This is the medicine cat's den." He walked into the tunnel, and he disappeared into the darkness. I went into the tunnel after him, and emerged in a small grassy clearing, letting my eyes adjust to the gloom. I saw a rock at the far side with a crack in it, as well as a few nests on the other side. I could hear a cat murmuring to itself inside of the cleft in the rock.

"We need more tansy… I'll have to go and get that before the cold comes, but with the fire and all, I don't know when anything will grow back. Good thing most of the herbs were preserved in the fire..." _Fire? So that's why the ravine had seemed a little open. The trees protecting it had been burned. _Fireheart mewed a greeting and a pair of eyes shown inside the rock, the only thing that gave away the medicine cat's presence. And also the fact that she mewed back.

"Hey, Fireheart!" A dark gray she-cat appeared from the depths of the boulder, looking over me as she did. "Who's the companion?"

"I'm Dawn," I replied, and the cat's eyes turned friendly.

"Well, hi! I'm Cinderpelt." She hobbled out of the darkness and I caught sight of a crippled leg. I didn't falter, only smiled and dipped my head.

"So, you guys need anything?" she looked from me to Fireheart, back to me. I could see appreciation in her eyes, as if she noticed that I didn't stare.

Fireheart shook his head. "No, we only wanted to say hi and ask what herbs you needed." Her eyes brightened.

"Oh, thanks! Let's see… I'll need some Marigold, and Tansy. And if we could stock up on catmint, that'd be good for the coming winter months."

"Good, I'll tell the cats to keep a lookout for them."

"Thank you!" Cinderpelt called as we exited the den and popped into the clearing.

"Next stop is the elders' den," he meowed, walking toward a tree stump. Fireheart led me inside with a low mew of warning. "Sometimes they can be a little insensitive." He walked in and meowed a hello. Three cats looked up at us, a white she-cat with a milky eye, a gray tom with small ears, and a tortoiseshell she-cat.

"Who's the youngster?" The white cat asked.

"I'm Dawn. Nice to meet you." The tortoiseshell she-cat surveyed me carefully, then nodded.

"I'm Dappletail, over there is One-eye, and then that tom is Smallear." She nodded to each of them in turn. Fireheart then asked them if they were fed.

"Oh, yes," replied One-eye. "The apprentices gave us some very plump mice. Thank you." As we padded out of the den I caught sight of the fresh-kill pile, dwindling.

"Let's go on patrol," he said, looking at the sun, which was high in the sky. "We'll bring another cat too. He bounded over to the warriors' den and called out a name. A sandy-colored she-cat from the day I first saw Fireheart emerged from the hole.

"Who's this?" her tone was sharp.

"I'm Dawn. Nice to meet you."

Fireheart gave a warning flick of his tail to the cat, and she sniffed.

"I'm Sandstorm, and I saw you that one day by the fence." I nodded. With a signal Fireheart bounded away, Sandstorm and me on his heels.

We plunged through the gorse tunnel, into the forest beyond, and went to the west. We ran through the trees, our paws skimming the ground. We slowed and reached a river.

"This is Riverclan territory, on the other side here." Fireheart mewed, flicking his tail to the area across the bank. I sniffed the air, and the scent coming over from the border of the river smelled fishy, not in the mysterious way, but… like fish. Fireheart and Sandstorm renewed the scents around Sunningrocks, and we bounded along the border, stopping every once in a while to renew the scent. A stream branched off from the main river and we walked through it, just a trickle. We padded across a two-leg path, scenting the air carefully before we crossed. We eventually made it to a point where I could smell all these different scents carried by the wind.

"Be careful," warned Fireheart. "The boundaries are thin here, and the scents mix." We proceeded with caution, scenting the air occasionally to see if we were still on our border. We came to a rise, with a large clearing below, surrounded by four trees and a huge rock in the middle.

"This is Fourtrees," mewed Sandstorm. "Where the four clans of the forest gather. There's Riverclan, Shadowclan, our neighbors to the east, and also Windclan, opposite our territory on the moorlands. Shadowclan are usually very sinister, and live in the marshes, eating frogs." She made a disgusted sound. "Windclan hunt rabbits and fast-moving game on the plains." We turned and cut back to pass the Owl Tree, where Fireheart said it was where a huge owl used to live, back when the forest started.

We skirted the Thunderclan camp, settling in the Sandy Hollow. We decided to split up there, hunt, and meet back when the sun was halfway between the positions of sunhigh and sunset. Sandstorm nodded, then hopped away in one direction, Fireheart in the other. I stood, scenting the air. More prey was behind me; Sandstorm went where she would find the least prey, and Fireheart went where there was moderate prey. How I could know this, I couldn't guess. I bounded away opposite of the other two warriors and scented the woods beyond, finding the prey plentiful.

…

When they met up, Sandstorm seemed slightly discouraged and Fireheart seemed content. We all hauled back our kills, mine being the largest. I had struck down two mice, a crow, three voles, two squirrels, and a rabbit. Fireheart had a rabbit, a thrush, a shrew, and four mice. Sandstorm had gotten a mouse, a squirrel, and three voles. All in all, it was a successful haul, and took four trips to the camp to put it all on the fresh-kill pile.

Even the other cats were surprised by our catch. We fed the whole clan that night, and I slept in the warriors' den. I chose a nest between Sandstorm and Brackenfur, and closed my eyes.

Sleep did not come. Instead, I was suspended in the void between wakefulness and dreams. I opened my eyes, frustrated I could not fully sleep, and I lay there awhile, listening to the breathing of the cats and the rise and fall of their flanks. I got up, my legs stiff, and walked to the entrance of the den. I poked my head out. Seeing as no one was awake, I walked to the center of camp, glancing at the sky. Seeing the stars that shone in the night, I made my way through the gorse tunnel and up the ravine to see them fully. I sat on a rock overlooking the camp, although you couldn't tell from looking at it that cats were living there, save for the fresh-kill pile that was only a dark splotch in the night. I heard pawsteps behind me and swiveled my ears, looking back to find Cinderpelt emerge from the trees. I watched her as she limped onto the rock with me, gazing at the stars.

"Silverpelt is clear tonight." She murmured, her eyes reflecting the stars. I raised my head to the sky, looking at the moon, big and round. "The gathering is tomorrow."

"It's going to be interesting," she murmured, her eyes on the stars still. "I wonder what will happen. It's the second since the fire. Tigerclaw was the leader of Shadowclan." When I glanced at her quizzically she explained the dark history of Tigerclaw, how he planned to take over Thunderclan, and how Bluestar was frazzled.

"She didn't seem all that out of whack," I replied, confused. Cinderpelt nodded.

"This was one of her good days. One of the days she still has her mind."

I blinked at the stars, seeing one shoot across the midnight sky.

"Do you believe in Starclan?" She looked at me weirdly, the reflection of starlight in her eyes.

"Oh, yes. My mom used to go on and on about it sometimes." I replied, leaving Cinderpelt looking startled. "Why?"

"I-I just think it odd for you to be raised in a different forest and still know about Starclan." I nodded.

"I know." _Then again, my mom did speak of things in their tongue. She always went on and on about a two-named cat, saying she would give us names like that one day._

_Well, mom, you're finally getting your wish, because I'm going to get my warrior name._


	5. Chapter 5 : Remembrance

Chapter 5 – Remembrance

I walked back into the den, curling up in my nest, tucking my nose under my tail. The warmth of the cats was great, but the cold leaf-fall winds blew from the mouth of the dark hole, making me shiver and chilling my bones. I looked at the cats around me, sleeping peacefully, while my turbulent mind raged inside me like a storm, scattering my thoughts, but also recovering some that were from moons past, the days countless. I sat, as the wind ruffled my fur, and was sent into my waking dreams as thoughts and memories swirled in my mind, and occasionally, I would recover a memory I had truly cherished, and I would reach out, grab a hold of it, and reel it in to the forefront of my mind.

_I was standing in a grassy plain, many moons ago, my fluffy kit fur shining in the sun, even as strong winds buffeted me and my brother, not unpleasantly. The wind rippled like waves crashing into the shore, the heat of the sun warming me. The stalks of grass came up to my belly, and an unusually long stalk tickled my nose, swaying with the wind._

"_Dawn! Come over here! You need to see this!" said the younger version of my brother, dark fur gleaming healthily as he crouched and waggled his haunches, sight fixed on an object I couldn't see. I ran over just as he jumped, and was amazed to see something hop away._

"_Mouse dung!" spat Night, writhing on the ground, his fur getting soaked in a puddle. I pulled him out, and catching my eye in the puddle I gasped. I was astonished to see a stranger with luminous eyes, a bright blue and a bright orange._

"_Your eyes are so pretty!" Night walked over beside me after a time of licking his soaking fur at least a little bit dry, for his tongue couldn't reach some spots. "I wish I had those eyes, all the girls would come to me for sure!" he puffed out his chest. "You don't know how lucky you are, sis." I warmed at his praise, but the smile vanished after a while and I shuffled my paws, watching my claws draw scores in the earth. _

"_Well, thank you, but It's really not as good a thing as you think." I looked at him big eyes. "When those friends of mom's came over and they brought those weird cats, they all thought I was staring at them funny. When people look in my eyes, all they see is something different, and something different is to be feared. Those thugs we encountered out of their territory that one time? They tried to beat us because of my eyes." I sighed. "You can't ever make any friends, because wherever you go I go, and whenever a cat gets near me they duck and flee. They like you brother, but not me." I laid on my belly, looking at my reflection in the water, and the bright, unnatural eyes I had. "Why do I have these eyes? Is it a blessing, or a curse?"_

_My brother laid down beside me, and started to lick my ear. _

"_Your eyes are definitely a blessing," he said in my ear. "Don't ever think they're not, and although you do get teased and put down for it, it is not a curse. Never a curse. They are beautiful and unique, and if every cat and kit were the same, our pelts, our eyes, our paws-what would we be? Mere clones of each other. There would be no free will, every cat would just be the same shade. Imagine, what a bleak and uneventful world that would be._

"_You are one of a kind, Dawn, and don't be sad about it. Hold your head high. Don't let them see you sulk, to see you cry, otherwise all you'll accomplish is misery. Do not wallow in misery, for then there will be no light. Just go on and hold your tail high, because you should be proud of your eyes. They are rare and beautiful. Let cats everywhere see you for the fun and confident cat I know you to be, for in time there will be a cat who sees you for more than just your brilliant eyes, and your sparkling pelt. Dawn, just be confident. There are rewards for those who work hard. Whenever you fall, get back up. Whenever you get teased, beat them at their own game, and show them just how well you can do things._

"_For me, Dawn, hold your head high, and walk among the stars._

"_For me."_

I woke with a start, the dawn light filtering through the den. I sighed and stretched, thinking about the dream. I froze. _What did that mean? Did my brother send me that dream? My mom always said if you wish to contact the other we have to send them a dream… _I shook myself as walked to the middle of camp. Seeing Fireheart issuing orders for the patrols, I walked over.

"...Dustpelt, you will lead a hunting patrol along with Mousefur, Thornpaw, and…" He surveyed the group, looking from able body to able body, when finally his gaze rested on me. "Dawn." I nodded. It would be good to stretch my legs. I looked at the sky, gauging the time from the sun's position. It was about halfway between sunhigh and the horizon.

"Dawn!" said a dark brown tabby tom. "Let's go, now!" I bounded after Mousefur and the apprentice, Thornpaw, who was staring at me with wondering eyes. I fell in behind them, working the muscles in my legs and feeling the early morning warmth, seeping into my fur from the dappled sunlight among the forest floor. My fur flashed brightly every time a patch hit my fur, glowing a bright golden.

"Be conscious, rogue, of the light your pelt reflects," growled the dark tom.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't catch your name…"

"Dustpelt." He replied gruffly. I flashed him a smile.

"Nice to meet you."

"Humph," he sniffed. "Sorry I can't say the same for you."

My smile turned, more like baring teeth. "I'm deeply sorry to hear that." He flashed me a look of surprise, seeing my dangerous facial expression, and huffed, speeding up.

After a good run, he stopped. "This is where we will disperse and meet up, at sunhigh." Glancing back to see if we had heard, he bounded off into the undergrowth. I snorted.

"He'll come around," said Mousefur, a concerned look in her eyes. I sniffed, not at the she-cat, but at Dustpelt.

"That cat needs to learn manners. And don't you worry," I added, "his words don't faze me. Now, let's get hunting!" I sniffed deeply, and feeling a pulling twinge of my left, bounded in that direction, for there seemed to be a fair amount of game there. I wondered briefly why I had this instinct, and what purpose it played. _How do I know about the general amount of game?_ I shook my head, and picking up a shrew's scent, I dropped low into a hunting crouch, approaching the animal. I was downwind, so it shouldn't scent me. I watched it tear into a grasshopper, and prowled even closer, feeling the muscles rippling beneath my pelt. It suddenly looked up from the grasshopper, and I froze. A moment later, it returned to its catch, indicating it didn't detect me. I leaped, and killed it cleanly without it uttering a noise. I buried it, then went about my business again. I spotted a lark in a tree, and could just hear my mom instructing me on how to get birds, whether it be they're in the tree, or flying away.

"…_Now, dear, you have to remember, they will probably see or hear you, and try to take off. Aim for above their heads, therefore you can catch them cleanly. If you overshoot, whack them with your paw. That will probably stun them long enough for you to pin them down. Now. To do this, you have to work your legs, flexing them and strengthening them so you can jump high..."_

It was from then on, that my mom had me practice trying to stand on my hind legs, strengthening them and making them powerful. The end result: I could leap far and jump higher than any other cat. That's what I did now. It was perched on a low branch, more than enough for me to get. I crouched, rocking my haunches from side to side, and tensed, bunching up my muscles. I overshot the bird, but it was caught between my paw and the tree limb. Before it could utter an alarm, my paw hit it squarely on the head, knocking it to the ground and stunning it. I heard a pair gasps from behind me, and I hesitated for a moment. Seeing the bird trying to get upright, I snapped its neck swiftly, bounding over before it could fly away. It had screeched an alarm, and I cursed now as I felt the animals jump back into their holes. _Felt_, as in I could feel the little consciousnesses that were represented in my mind as starbursts of light. _What the-light? Where had this come from?_ I could sense now the cats who had gasped. It was two cats, that is, because their light was bigger than the prey. I stalked over to the bush where they hid, and brushed away the leaves.

"Yes?" I said, seeing the two kits, Tawnykit and Bramblekit. They were looking at me with awe in their wide eyes.

"That was amazing!" exclaimed Tawnykit, and walked from the bush, over to the bird. She poked it with a paw. "How?"

"How did you do it?" chimed Bramblekit, who raced over to sit in front of me. "How? How? Tell, me, please!" he fidgeted.

"Us! Tell _us_." Tawnykit corrected, pushing her brother from front and center to beside her. I looked from kit to kit.

"Well," I started awkwardly. "My mother always taught me these exercises. You flex your hind legs," I said, standing on my legs for demonstration, "and try to stand." Bramblekit and Tawnykit immediately tried it, but they kept falling. I caught Bramblekit before he fell. "No, no, be careful. I'll teach you both later, but for now, where is your mother?" I glanced around, and a moment later my question was answered. The queen walked in, looking at the kits. Their ears flattened.

"Their mother," she scolded, "is right here. Come along, you two, we're going back to camp!" She gathered up her kits, who, every step of the way, mewled protests. I tipped my head to the side and watched them go. As they disappeared in the undergrowth, I gathered my lark and buried it with my shrew. I closed my eyes and searched for new prey. I sensed a vole by the dry riverbed, and so I went and killed that.

Much of the morning went by a blur of prey and when I looked into the sky, was astonished to see that it was almost sunhigh. I went and collected the first batch of my prey, and when I brought it to the clearing, Dustpelt was already there, with a growing pile of his prey.

"Is that all you caught?" he sniffed. "I guess it's not bad, for a _rogue_." I gave him my toothy smile, and he flinched.

"No, actually, this is one batch of many. And if you don't mind, I will go to collect it now." I dropped my pile opposite his, and brought back my next prey. I watched his eyes widen. On the third trip, I spotted Thornpaw and Mousefur, and they had quite a large pile themselves. But, again, my pile was the biggest. Thornpaw's eyes were wide with disbelief as he surveyed my pile.

"Wow!" he mewed, then turned a bit embarrassed. "That's going to be a big haul," he commented. I nodded, saying,

"Then let's be off to camp, for we all have many trips to take." And with that, I picked up the first of my prey. It took a total of four trips to take all the prey, for Thornpaw and Mousefur went to the Sandy Hollow for training. Everyone was astounded with the amount of prey we brought in, especially in the cold autumn. I laid in a patch of sunlight by the warrior's den, watching the cats walk to and fro, building up the nursery in preparation for the cold winter months of leaf-bare. I asked them if I could help, but they replied they already had more than enough cats to the job, and so I laid there, soaking up the sun. I watched through half-closed eyes as Tawnykit and Bramblekit balanced on their hind legs. At a point in time I saw Cloudpaw stride up to them and ask them what they were doing. I had good hearing, and could pick out their conversation.

"What are you guys doing!" he had asked incredulously.

"We're strengthening our back legs!" Bramblekit and Tawnykit chimed.

"Well," Cloudpaw snorted, "that's hardly a way to do it." And had then proceeded to ask them where they had gotten a mouse-brained idea.

"Dawn taught us how to!" Bramblekit replied.

"Yea, she can jump real high!" Tawnykit insisted. I yawned, and stretched my legs, then bounded over to the kits and apprentice. Cloudpaw turned to me.

"You can't really jump that high, can you?" he sniffed. I blinked.

"You don't believe them?"

"Well, kits _can_ exaggerate."

"They're not," I told him, which got a snort.

"Oh, sure! And hedgehogs fly?"

"Well, I've certainly never heard of one flying before, but I _can_ jump."

"Oh, yeah? Well, prove it, rogue!" and raced out of the ravine, me on his heels. He led me to a tall tree, with the highest branch four fox-lengths above his head. He nodded. "Let's see you get on that branch."

I crouched on the ground, ten fox-lengths away, and I heard him snort, yet again. I raced out for the tree, and when I neared it I prepared my legs. I tensed, then leaped, extending my paws out the claws reaching for the branch. I caught the branch with my left paw, claws sinking into the bark, and I heard Cloudpaw.

"Wow!" he said, amazed, and then snickered. "Well, you can jump, but you can't get _on_ the branch, so Cloudpaw: one, Dawn: zero!" My only reply was a growl, and then I swung my right forepaw onto the branch, higher than the left. With a great heave, I tugged myself onto the branch, and looked down at Cloudpaw.

"You were saying?" I prompted. He cursed, and then a sly smile spread across his face.

"Can you get down?" I sniffed. _Of course I can! _I leapt down from the tree headfirst, letting my paws take the impact of the ground. He stared at me, dumbfounded. I nodded to him, then led the way back to the camp.

I little ways from the camp, I heard the caw of a hawk, and sensed that it was near. Very near. I picked up pace, and was soon speeding through the undergrowth, Cloudpaw panting as he tried to keep up with me. I skidded to a halt near the ravine, and what I saw shook me to my marrow. There, over the camp, was a huge predatory bird, diving in to snatch up some prey. Snowkit had just emerged from the elder's den, a bright white pelt. In a flash, I knew that was the bird's target. Snowkit's pelt stood out among the brush and dirt of the ravine. I backed away, then ran, gaining speed, my body working over the side of the ravine. Seeing a big rock up ahead, I veered toward it.

I heard the cry of Snowkit ring out, bouncing back and echoing against the sides of the cliff. I then saw the tawny head of the bird, then its wingspan, atleast seven fox-lengths across. In a brief moment, my mind screeched, _What do you think you're doing, you dumb cat! You can't reach it!_

With a yowl, I leaped off the tip of the rock, sailing through the air. I felt a weightless sensation around me, and my heart fluttered in my chest, coming up to my throat. I saw the hawk below me struggle, then a cat be flung aside, landing heavily from the air. I extended my paws, my tail straight in fear, and I heard a piercing screech from the bird as it noticed me. Its mighty wings beat faster as it tried to get away, and I only managed to snag its wing. I dangled there for a heart stopping moment, a terrible fear enveloping my chest, making it hard to breathe. The next thing I realized was the world was spinning, spinning so fast. _Which way was up? Which way is down? _It was impossible to tell, but I heard Snowkit yowl in alarm and the bird screech even louder. I fastened my claws in its wing, holding on to the bird. I then felt a pelt brush mine, and looked up to see Snowkit, in the bird's talons. I realized I was upside-down.

With a heave I grabbed onto him.

"Let go!" His eyes looked into mine for a moment, and fear filled them. I tried to reassure him with mine, and he let go, scratching the hawk's legs to get them to release him. As soon as that happened, I bundled him up against me, wrapping my body around his, and I closed my eyes. I felt the exhilaration of the wind in my fur, and for a moment I felt free. That ended when I hit the ground.

I landed, the force knocking the breath out of me, and I screeched in agony, pain shooting up from my spine. I heard the thud of the bird as it hit the ground, and I opened my eyes to see cats leap on the great bird and kill it. I saw Cloudpaw race from the tunnel, looking at me with wide eyes. I realized a number of the cats were trying to pry open my paws, and I relaxed my hold on Snowkit. The voices around me turned into a din, and I felt my body being pushed to Cinderpelt's den. My mind felt detached from my body, separate, and I staggered, the cats around me steering

When I made it into Cinderpelt's main treating area, my head had cleared a bit. I collapsed onto the moss bedding. I could make out what the cats were saying, but it was hard to focus.

"Great Starclan! Will she be ok?"

"What a save!"

"I hope nothing's broken…"

I felt a pair of paws poking a prodding, and I gazed in to the distance, trying to grasp something. I couldn't put my paw around it…

Cinderpelt put some poppy seeds in front of me, and I heard her say,

"Eat them. They'll make you feel better." Despite if they made me feel better, I ate them, registering them in my mind blankly as sleep.

When the poppy seeds did take effect, I was pleased to find no dreams disturbed my rest.

I got a lot of sleep before a colorful vision broke through the forefront of my mind.

I was running in the forest, feeling my paws barely skim the ground as the wind caught my fur. I realized I could sense a number of animals, and I gasped as I could sense all the animals around me, however far out my reach extended. I ran towards them, the animals. I stopped short. They weren't animals… They were _cats!_ My heart raced as my senses were overloaded, and they all came to the spot where I stood. I watched as several glittering, starlit figures assemble in front of me. I looked on in awe at them, and glimpsed the ranks. There were cats big and small; a red tom with a bushy tail, a tabby with a twisted jaw, and another pretty silver tabby.

I saw three cats walk out among them, and was astonished to recognize them. The first cat was Spottedleaf, which I raised my tail in greeting to. The second cat had orange eyes and a dappled pelt. Tears came to my eyes and I glanced at the last cat, a tom who had deep blue eyes and a silver pelt. I watched as they came nearer, and I closed my eyes to make sure I wasn't dreaming. I watched the cats as they stopped just before me, and I stared at disbelief at the two cats, after Spottedleaf.

"Mom…" I whispered. "Dad." They each gave me a smile, and I ran forward. I tried to rub my muzzle against them, but they dispersed into a million pieces, like glittering powder.

"Mother! Father!" I searched frantically for them, feeling the dark pit in my heart that I had covered reopen. As their dust shimmered into the wind, I heard their voices talk to me.

"Be strong, my new Dawn." My mother. Tears spilled over my cheeks at the mention of her nickname for me, and I listened to my father's deep rumble.

"We will always be with you. You have a very tough path ahead, and we will guide you."

I heard both their voices meld together.

"We love you, Dawn."

I woke with a start, my body aching and stiff. I moved my legs experimentally, and they responded, but I gasped as I tried to move my left back leg. I saw Cinderpelt hobble over to me and she immediately examined my leg. I relaxed as she did so, and I saw her place a stick in front of me.

"Bite on this." I grabbed it in my mouth, body totally relaxed. I knew what was coming. "I'm going to set your leg. It's dislocated." I nodded, and she continued. "On the count of three. 1… 2-" On two she yanked on my leg and the stick broke in two as I yelped. The pain vanished as it set, and I relaxed.

"There!" said Cinderpelt satisfactorily. I turned as a cat padded down into the tunnel. It was Fireheart.

"What happened? I heard-" He stopped as he saw me awake. "Oh, how are you? Are you okay?" As he asked me more, I saw Cinderpelt's tail twitch. Finally she interrupted Fireheart and said,

"Enough! Fireheart, _stop_ being a pest! Shoo!" she said, sweeping her tail and herding him out of the den.

When she returned, she sighed, then asked me how I was feeling, what hurt, et cetera.

"Right." She said, after she was done poking around. "I think you'll just be sore for a few days. Your spine is a little stiff and that one dislocation seems to be the only-"

"Dawn! Dawn!" I turned as three kits came bundling down the tunnel, breaking Cinderpelt off. I watched as they came up to me, Snowkit in the lead. He smiled sheepishly at me and sat, Tawnykit and Bramblekit doing the same.

"I'm fine," I said, answering their unspoken questions. "I just had a dislocation is all." I saw them relax, and realized they had been worried. "What? You didn't think I'd die before I could get my warrior name, did you?" I teased. Some of the weight in the air vanished as they snapped out of their reverie and smiled.

"Well, we hoped not!" mewed Tawnykit.

"Yeah, that sure would be a loss." Bramblekit chimed. Snowkit shuffled his paws, and I tilted my head in question. Before I could respond, I heard Goldenflower shout down the tunnel.

"Tawnykit! Bramblekit! Stop bothering poor Dawn and come take some breakfast to the elders!" I followed them with my eyes, watching as they glanced back before leaving the den. I focused my gaze on Snowkit. He wouldn't meet my eyes, and so I flicked my tail at Cinderpelt. Getting my gesture, she told me how she's going to see if she can find some tansy and marigold before the cold sets in.

"I'll be back some time before sunset!" And with that, she limped out of the den. Again, I turned to Snowkit. He looked at me then, questions clearly in his eyes. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Finally, he spoke.

"Why?" I smiled at him, a warm, gentle, reassuring one.

"Why not? Explain to me that." I paused, and when he didn't answer I continued. "If I hadn't saved you, you would be long gone by now." He shivered, and I softened my tone even further. "I made the jump, because I could. I knew, that if _I_ didn't save you, who would?" I watched him closely, and he relaxed.

"I… just don't understand. You, a rogue, would save me, a kit… who you've just only met…" He trailed off, his gaze wandering around the room.

"I may have been a rogue," I said, my voice firm. "But, I am now a part of Thunderclan. I do not have any ties left there." _Except Night and Sky. And the barn. And memories._ I hissed at myself inwardly and stretched. My muscles were still sore, and I gasped as I tried to move them. I plopped back down, my mind stuttering.

"I understand." He said brightly. "I'll go get you some fresh-kill!" I nodded. He came back in a moment later with a rabbit and a mouse. "You know what happened with the hawk?" he said, between bites of his mouse. "They divided it up and ate it! It was so much fun! I tried to save some for you, but it's been what, four days since then?" I blinked, and he nodded. "You were asleep for awhile." We finished our meals, and he helped me out of the den as a meeting was called. I looked up to see Bluestar standing with a defiant glare. I watched her blazing eyes and jerky steps, then saw her twitching tail, as if she was about to launch herself into battle. With a feeling of dread, a claw of uncertainty curled up my spine, and I shivered.

_Oh, Great Starclan! What is she going to have us do!_

***Hey guys, If you're reading my story I'm terribly sorry for the delay! Fanfic had some trouble with me and my login. I meant to post it a while ago, but my schedule is hectic. In the future I'm sorry! I'm working between like eight stories now, and they're ALL in progress. I try to give each a fair amount of typing time. So, for chapter six it may be a long while before I submit anything. Thanks and please, do review!***


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